The french open, the last clay court event of the season kicks off tomorrow in the French capital of Paris. Who are your favorites for the men and women's singles crowns?
Upsets, draws, shots of the tournament? Are you watching? Share your experiences on this thread.

For me its Vamos Rafa!!!

Who else but the Swiss Master . I don't see Nadal reaching the finals.

Seeds:  ¹Roger Federer (SUI), ²Rafael Nadal (ESP), ³Andy Roddick (USA), ⁴Nikolay Davydenko (RUS), ⁵Fernando Gonzalez (CHI), ⁶Novak Djokovic (SRB), ⁷Ivan Ljubicic (CRO), ⁸James Blake (USA), ⁹Tommy Robredo (ESP), ¹⁰Tomas Berdych CZE, ¹¹Richard Gasquet (FRA), ¹²David Ferrer (ESP), ¹³Mikhail Youzhny (RUS), ¹⁴Lleyton Hewitt (AUS), ¹⁵David Nalbandian (ARG), ¹⁶Marcos Baghdatis (CYP), ¹⁷Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP), ¹⁸Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG), ¹⁹Guillermo Canas (ARG), ²⁰Jarkko Nieminen (FIN), ²¹Dmitry Tursunov (RUS), ²²Marat Safin (RUS), ²³Carlos Moya (ESP), ²⁴Dominik Hrbaty (SVK), ²⁵Robin Soderling (SWE), ²⁶Agustin Calleri (ARG), ²⁷Jurgen Melzer (AUT), ²⁸Philipp Kohlschreiber GER, ²⁹Filippo Volandri (ITA), ³⁰Julien Benneteau (FRA), ³¹Florian Mayer (GER), ³²Nicolas Almagro (ESP)

Rain delay on opening day, Serena is down 5-6.
If the swiss "master" gets to the final i'd be shocked, he doesnt have a very good draw.

First Round Fixtures:

******************
Roger Federer SUI (1)  vs.  Michael Russell USA
Marin Cilic CRO  vs.  Thierry Ascione FRA
Ivo Minar CZE  vs.  Potito Starace ITA
Carlos Berlocq ARG  vs.  Julien Benneteau FRA (30)
Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (17)  vs.  Amer Delic USA
Stefan Koubek AUT  vs.  Christophe Rochus BEL
Nicolas Lapentti ECU  vs.  Alexander Peya AUT
Jan Hernych CZE  vs.  Mikhail Youzhny RUS (13)
Tommy Robredo ESP (9)  vs.  Sergio Roitman ARG
Chris Guccione AUS  vs.  Konstantinos Economidis GRE
Janko Tipsarevic SRB  vs.  Dusan Vemic SRB
Fernando Vicente ESP  vs.  Marat Safin RUS (22)
Filippo Volandri ITA (29)  vs.  Paul Capdeville CHI
Martin Vassallo Arguello ARG  vs.  Alejandro Falla COL
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo ESP  vs.  Stanislas Wawrinka SUI
Arnaud Clement FRA  vs.  Ivan Ljubicic CRO (7)

******************

Nikolay Davydenko RUS  vs. Stefano Galvani ITA
Alexandre Sidorenko FRA vs. Werner Eschauer AUT
Michael Llodra FRA  vs.  Nicolas Devilder FRA
Justin Gimelstob USA  vs.  Nicolas Almagro ESP
Juan Ignacio Chela ARG (18)  vs.  Fabrice Santoro FRA
Olivier Rochus BEL  vs.  Gael Monfils FRA
Ivan Navarro Pastor ESP  vs.  Boris Pashanski SRB  
Hyung-Taik Lee KOR  vs.  David Nalbandian ARG
Richard Gasquet FRA (11)  vs.  Nicolas Mahut FRA
Kristof Vliegen BEL  vs.  Danai Udomchoke THA
Martin Verkerk NED  vs.  Simone Bolelli ITA
Victor Hanescu ROU  vs.  Guillermo Canas ARG
Jurgen Melzer AUT (27)  vs.  Jose Acasuso ARG
Fabio Fognini ITA  vs.  Juan Monaco ARG
Edouard Roger-Vasselin FRA  vs.  Marcos Daniel BRA
Radek Stepanek CZE  vs.  Fernando Gonzalez

******************

Novak Djokovic SRB (6)  vs.  Santiago Giraldo COL                  
Sam Querrey USA  vs.  Laurent Recouderc FRA
Jonathan Eysseric FRA  vs.  Olivier Patience FRA
Mariano Zabaleta ARG  vs.  Agustin Calleri ARG (26)
Dmitry Tursunov RUS (21)  vs.  Alessio Di Mauro ITA
Fernando Verdasco ESP  vs.  Jerome Haehnel FRA
Robby Ginepri USA  vs.  Diego Hartfield ARG
Daniele Bracciali ITA  vs.  David Ferrer ESP (12)
Marcos Baghdatis CYP (16)  vs.  Sebastien Grosjean FRA
Kristian Pless DEN  vs.  Yen-Hsun Lu TPE
Thomas Johansson SWE  vs.  Jan Hajek CZE
Bohdan Ulihrach CZE  vs.  Dominik Hrbaty SVK (24)
Florian Mayer GER (31)  vs.  Paul-Henri Mathieu FRA
Vincent Spadea USA  vs.  Gilles Simon FRA
Luis Horna PER  vs.  Nicolas Massu CHI
Igor Andreev RUS  vs.  Andy Roddick USA (3)

******************

James Blake USA (  vs.  Ivo Karlovic CRO  
Peter Luczak AUS  vs.  Jonas Bjorkman SWE
Juan-Pablo Guzman ARG  vs.  Oscar Hernandez ESP
Lukas Dlouhy CZE  vs.  Philipp Kohlschreiber GER (28)
Carlos Moya ESP (23)  vs.  Andreas Seppi ITA
Florent Serra FRA  vs.  Igor Kunitsyn RUS
Robert Kendrick USA  vs.  Juan Pablo Brzezicki ARG
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez ESP  vs.  Tomas Berdych CZE (10)                
Lleyton Hewitt AUS (14)  vs.  Max Mirnyi BLR
Marc Gicquel FRA  vs.  Gaston Gaudio ARG                  
Benjamin Becker GER  vs.  Mathieu Montcourt FRA                  
Feliciano Lopez ESP  vs.  Jarkko Nieminen FIN (20)
Robin Soderling SWE (25)  vs.  Albert Montanes ESP
Ernests Gulbis LAT  vs.  Tim Henman GBR
Flavio Cipolla ITA  vs.  Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS
Juan Martin Del Potro ARG  vs.  Rafael Nadal ESP (2)

davidylan:

Rain delay on opening day, Serena is down 5-6.
If the swiss "master" gets to the final i'd be shocked, he doesnt have a very good draw.

Nothin' dey happen! The tougher the opponents, the better for Roger

As for the women, I tip JH to take it the fourth time.

Serena won eventually 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 ( I think).

I think Serena stands a good chance of winning, JH does too. For the men, I'm tipping Federer; whatever happens Rafa is not winning it this time.

You're right Ade.  It's good that we have another anti-Nadal in the house.

Justine Henin, Dinara Safina, Tamira Paszek have all joined Serena Williams in the second round.

In the men's category, Janko Tipsarevic, Marat Safin, Potito Starace have progressed into the next round.

Weather-permitting, Gonzo, Davydenko, Federer, Canas, Youzhny, Volandri, Ljubicic, Gasquet, Nalbandian, Chela, Ferrero, Robredo will all be in action today.

Go Nadal

i hope serena will improve on her game!
for the guys, its got to be Nadal!

I hope serena wins it for the girls. As for the men, there will be no repeat of hamburg,
NADAL to win it.

PDF nice to have you in my corner. Davydenko and Venus are already in the second round.

Can Rafa win again the tournament again? No.

nice one for Venus!
still goin for Rafa

Roddick has fallen in the first round.  Gonzo, Henman might follow soon (both 2 sets down).

Blakes takes the first set against big-serving Karlovic.

The match between the King of clay and Del Potro is in progress. Nadal is up 1-0.

Henman has lost (6-4,6-3,6-2) rafa is leading in the second set 4-0 after having taken the first 7-5. I am still rooting for Blake.

Gonzo lost (2-6,2-6,4-6) Blake has dropped the second set 4-6

Ade, this ur Blake sef! Anyways, as expected against a player who serves aces like no other, Blake lost in four sets. (The dude hit 22 aces in the match; Blake hit just 1).

Apart from Ginepri, all the ajebos americans have fallen in the first round. It's not even certain he will also progress. They'd better started getting used to playing on clay.

How are the mighty fallen!
James Blake, tim Henman, Gonzalez, roddick!

Federer was in awesome form against Michael Russel of the USA.

Venus Williams will NOT win the FO if she manages to go as far as the third round.

First Round Results: (Men)

Federer - Russell 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Ascione - Cilic 6-2, 6-2, 6-1
Starace - Minar 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6
Berlocq - Benneteau 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3
Ferrero - Delic 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Koubek - Rochus 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 1-2 Retired
Lapentti - Peya 6-1, 6-4, 2-1 Retired
Youzhny - Hernych Retired
Robredo - Roitman 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Economidis - Guccione 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1
Tipsarevic - Vemic 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Safin - Vicente 6-1, 6-3, 6-1
Volandri - Capdeville 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
Vassallo Arguello - Falla 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6
Wawrinka - Ramirez Hidalgo 0-6, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4
Ljubicic - Clement 6-1, 7-5, 7-6
****************
Davydenko - Galvani 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
Eschauer - Sidorenko 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Llodra - Devilder 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Almagro - Gimelstob 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Chela - Santoro 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 6-3
Monfils - Rochus 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Pastor - Pashanski 7-6, 6-4, 6-4
Nalbandian - Lee 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Gasquet - Mahut 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Vliegen - Udomchoke 6-2, 6-3, 6-3
Bolelli - Verkerk 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Canas - Hanescu 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
Melzer - Acasuso 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Monaco - Fognini 3-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Daniel - Roger-Vasselin 6-1, 4-1 Retired
Stepanek - Gonzalez 6-2, 6-2, 6-4
************************
Djokovic - Santiago 6-3, 7-6, 6-4
Recouderc - Querrey 7-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-7, 6-3
Patience - Eysseric 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Zabaleta - Calleri 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5
Tursunov - Di Mauro 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Verdasco - Haehnel 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0
Hartfield - Ginepri 6-4, 1-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Ferrer - Bracciali 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
Baghdatis - Grosjean 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Pless - Lu 6-3, 6-2, 7-6
Hajek - Johansson 7-5, 7-6, 7-6
Ulihrach - Hrbaty 6-2, 5-7, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
Mathieu - Mayer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Simon - Spadea 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
Massu - Horna 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2
Andreev - Roddick 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
*********************
Karlovic - Blake 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5
Bjorkman - Luczak 6-7, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Hernandez - Guzman 7-6, 6-0, 6-2
Kohlschreiber - Dlouhy 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, 17-15
Moya - Seppi 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0
Serra - Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-0, 6-2
Brzezicki - Kendrick 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
Garcia-Lopez - Berdych 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
Hewitt - Mirnyi 6-3, 6-1, 6-3
Gaudio - Gicquel 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Montcourt - Becker 6-3, 6-1, 6-3
Nieminen - Lopez 6-2, 6-4, 7-6
Montanes - Soderling 7-6, 4-1 Retired
Gulbis - Henman 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Cipolla - Gabashvili 7-6, 6-3, 6-2
Nadal - Del Potro 7-5, 6-3, 6-2

Second Round Fixtures:

Roger Federer SUI (1) vs. Thierry Ascione FRA
Potito Starace ITA vs. Carlos Berlocq ARG
Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (17) vs. Stefan Koubek AUT
Nicolas Lapentti ECU vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS
Tommy Robredo ESP (9) vs. Konstantinos Economidis GRE
Janko Tipsarevic SRB vs. Marat Safin RUS (22)
Filippo Volandri ITA (29) vs. Martin Vassallo Arguello ARG
Stanislas Wawrinka SUI vs. Ivan Ljubicic CRO (7)
Nikolay Davydenko RUS (4) vs. Werner Eschauer AUT
Michael Llodra FRA vs. Nicolas Almagro ESP (32)
Juan Ignacio Chela ARG (18) vs. Gael Monfils FRA
Ivan Navarro Pastor ESP vs. David Nalbandian ARG (15)
Richard Gasquet FRA (11) vs. Kristof Vliegen BEL
Simone Bolelli ITA vs. Guillermo Canas ARG (19)
Jurgen Melzer AUT (27) vs. Juan Monaco ARG
Edouard Roger-Vasselin FRA vs. Radek Stepanek CZE

***********************

Novak Djokovic SRB (6) vs. Laurent Recouderc FRA
Olivier Patience FRA vs. Mariano Zabaleta ARG
Dmitry Tursunov RUS (21) vs. Fernando Verdasco ESP
Diego Hartfield ARG vs. David Ferrer ESP (12)
Marcos Baghdatis CYP (16) vs. Kristian Pless DEN
Jan Hajek CZE vs. Bohdan Ulihrach CZE
Paul-Henri Mathieu FRA vs. Gilles Simon FRA
Nicolas Massu CHI vs. Igor Andreev RUS
Ivo Karlovic CRO vs. Jonas Bjorkman SWE
Oscar Hernandez ESP vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber GER (28)
Carlos Moya ESP (23) vs. Florent Serra FRA
Juan Pablo Brzezicki ARG vs. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez ESP
Lleyton Hewitt AUS (14) vs. Gaston Gaudio ARG
Mathieu Montcourt FRA vs. Jarkko Nieminen FIN (20)
Albert Montanes ESP vs. Ernests Gulbis LAT
Flavio Cipolla ITA vs. Rafael Nadal [b][/b]ESP (2)

Roger me some Federer jare!!!

Yes oh! The guy is flying at the mo'; he's thrashing homeboy Ascione (6-1, 6-2, . . . ).

na wa for the Americans o! Not a single male singles player in the 2nd round.

Roddick, Blake, Querrey, Ginepri!

PDF, na so I see am o. It's just that I like the guy else I would have disowned him a long time ago. You have to admit sha, when he's playing well he's very very good, but when he's not he's awful.

Anyway some great tennis is still being played, someone quietly impressing so far is Carlos Moya. I wonder how far he can go?

Let's not forget Lleyton Hewitt, looks like he's gradually coming back to form. Crushed Gaston Guadio in the last 3 sets.

Men's Singles - Second Round Results:

Federer - Ascione   6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (10-
Starace - Berlocq   6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Ferrero - Koubek   6-4, 7-5, 6-3
Youzhny - Lapentti   6-3, 6-0, 6-4
Robredo - Economidis   6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Tipsarevic - Safin   6-4, 6-4, 7-5
Volandri - Vassallo Arguello   7-6, 7-5, 6-2
Ljubicic - Wawrinka   6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
Davydenko - Eschauer   7-5, 6-3, 6-1
Llodra - Almagro   2-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4
Monfils - Chela   3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Nalbandian - Navarro Pastor   7-5, 6-4, 6-4
Vliegen - Gasquet   7-6, 6-3, 6-1
Canas - Bolelli   6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Monaco - Melzer   6-2, 6-3, 6-2
Roger-Vasselin - Stepanek   3-6, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4
-----------------

Djokovic - Recouderc   6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Patience - Zabaleta   7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4
Verdasco - Tursunov   6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Ferrer - Hartfield   6-4, 6-3, 7-6
Baghdatis - Pless   7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Hajek - Ulihrach   1-6, 6-2, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2
Mathieu - Simon 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6
Andreev - Massu 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
Bjorkman - Karlovic   3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3
Hernandez - Kohlschreiber   7-6, 6-1, 6-1
Moya - Serra   6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Brzezicki - Garcia-Lopez   7-6, 6-2, 6-0
Hewitt - Gaudio   4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Nieminen - Montcourt   6-1, 6-1, 6-4
Montanes - Gulbis   6-1, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6
Nadal - Cipolla   6-2, 6-1, 6-4

Men's Singles - Third Round Fixtures

Roger Federer SUI (1)  vs.  Potito Starace ITA
Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (17)  vs.  Mikhail Youzhny RUS (13)
Tommy Robredo ESP (9)  vs.  Janko Tipsarevic SRB
Filippo Volandri ITA (29)  vs.  Ivan Ljubicic CRO (7)
Nikolay Davydenko RUS (4)  vs.  Michael Llodra FRA
Gael Monfils FRA  vs.  David Nalbandian ARG (15)
Kristof Vliegen BEL  vs.  Guillermo Canas ARG (19)
Juan Monaco ARG  vs.  Edouard Roger-Vasselin FRA
Novak Djokovic SRB (6)  vs.  Olivier Patience FRA
Fernando Verdasco ESP  vs.  David Ferrer ESP (12)   
Marcos Baghdatis CYP (16)  vs.  Jan Hajek CZE
Paul-Henri Mathieu FRA vs. Igor Andreev RUS
Jonas Bjorkman SWE  vs.  Oscar Hernandez ESP
Carlos Moya ESP (23)  vs.  Juan Pablo Brzezicki ARG
Lleyton Hewitt AUS (14)  vs.  Jarkko Nieminen FIN (20)
Albert Montanes ESP  vs.  Rafael Nadal ESP (2)

Cipolla looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights. what a proper beating he recieved at the hands of Rafa the great!

Rafa makes yet more history, longest winning start streak at any grandslam - winning 16 straight matches at Roland Garros without defeat!

[size=26pt]Vamos Rafa[/size]

Today's Third Round Results:

Federer - Starace   6-2, 6-3, 6-0
Youzhny - Ferrero   6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2
Robredo - Tipsarevic   6-3, 6-4, 6-0
Volandri - Ljubicic    6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Davydenko - Llodra   6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Nalbandian - Monfils   7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6
Canas - Vliegen   6-2, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Monaco - Roger-Vasselin   6-4, 6-2, 6-4


Some Fourth Round Fixtures:

Roger Federer SUI (1)  vs.  Mikhail Youzhny RUS (13)
Tommy Robredo ESP (9)  vs.  Filippo Volandri ITA (29)
Nikolay Davydenko RUS (4)  vs.  David Nalbandian ARG (15)
Guillermo Canas ARG (19)  vs.  Juan Monaco ARG

Monfils, Ljubicic are out!

Some interesting fixtures we have in the this round.  Davydenko/Nalbandian. . . hmmm. I would give it to the russian.  Federer might meet Volandri or Canas (both players who beaten him this year), should they win their respective matches.

Other Third Round Results:

Djokovic - Patience 7-6, 2-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
Verdasco - Ferrer 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-3
Baghdatis - Hajek 6-2, 6-2 Retired
Andreev - Mathieu 7-6, 6-0, 6-3
Bjorkman - Hernandez 6-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-1
Moya - Brzezicki 6-1, 6-3, 7-5
Hewitt - Nieminen 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
Nadal - Montanes 6-1, 6-3, 6-2

Remaining Fourth Round Fixtures:

Novak Djokovic SRB (6) vs. Fernando Verdasco ESP
Marcos Baghdatis CYP (16) vs. Igor Andreev RUS
Jonas Bjorkman SWE vs. Carlos Moya ESP (23)
Lleyton Hewitt AUS (14) vs. Rafael Nadal ESP (2)

Baghdatis, silently cruising, seems to be enjoying not being considered a fav; he's yet to lose a set in this tournament. His match against Andreev is kinda hard to predict. I tip him to progress into the QF.

Nadal/Hewitt (a potential five setter). . . hmm. . . Nadal, but not a straight-sets win, i can bet.

i was really rooting for Olivier Patience to beat Djokovic. what an upset that would have been ranked 129 in the world.

He just seemed to get overwhelmed and threw the fourth set away with unecessary unforced errors. After that he crumbled. Sad!

Nadal may beat Hewitt in straight sets.

For QFs
Djokovic
Bagdhatis/Andreev game too close to call but i fancy Andreev here
Moya
Nadal

Roger Federer won the 100th match on clay of his career today.

In beating Michael Youzhny 7-6, 6-4, 6-4, Roger Federer won his 35th consecutive set in a Grand Slam today, beating the record previously held by John McEnroe (between the 1st round of Wimbledon 1984 and the US Open of the same year). The last player to take a set off the Swiss was Andy Roddick in the final of the 2006 US Open (won by Federer 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1).

He faces Tommy Robredo in the QF.

Davydenko outlasted Nalbandian (6-3, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6) to set up a QF clash with Canas. What a match that would be!

In the women's draw, Sharapova screamed her way into the QF, saving two match points against the new Swiss Miss, Schnyder.  Next for her is ninth seed Chakvetadze.

The other QF fixtures are:
Justine Henin BEL (1)  vs.  Serena Williams USA (

Jelena Jankovic SRB (4)  vs.  Nicole Vaidisova CZE (6)

Ana Ivanovic SRB (7) vs.  Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (3)